The present invention relates to a circuit for controlling the stopping of equipment. It is more particularly used in the realisation of programmable systems for the remote switching off of lights. The present circuit is more particularly suitable for systems used for cutting down the amount of electric power consumed by artificial lighting sources (bulbs, lamps, tubular discharge lamps, projectors, etc). It can be used with advantage in such installations having a large number of autonomous lighting subassemblies.
At present, lighting means are switched off by a master switch, which cuts off the power supply. This solution has the double disadvantage of leading to a definitive switching off of all the lighting means, without it being possible to immediately switch on some of them again and to put back into service all these means on restoring the power supply, which is not necessarily justified.